Imagine
this
scenario:
As
a
young
associate,
a
senior
partner
pops
by
your
office
and
says,
“Let’s
go
on
a
pitch
meeting
together.”
Excitedly,
you
grab
your
coat,
ready
for
your
first
in-person
interaction
with
a
prospective
client.
What
happens
next?
For
many
lawyers,
landing
new
business
in
a
pitch
meeting
is
the
highlight
of
the
week
—
or
even
the
year,
depending
on
the
size
of
the
client.
Bringing
in
new
business
and
becoming
a
successful
rainmaker
elevates
your
status
at
any
law
firm.
With
your
own
book
of
business,
you
gain
freedom,
control,
and
independence
in
your
career.
So
why
do
most
lawyers
avoid
business
development?
As
a
business
development
coach
for
lawyers,
I
hear
a
variety
of
reasons.
These
are
the
top
five:
-
Fear
of
rejection -
Lack
of
interest -
Perceived
waste
of
time -
Uncertainty
about
how
to
secure
meetings
with
decision-makers -
Reluctance
to
come
across
as
“salesy”
Chances
are,
at
least
one
of
these
reasons
resonates
with
you.
And
yes,
I
know:
“They
never
taught
this
in
law
school.”
But
that’s
in
the
past.
Instead,
let’s
focus
on
what
you
can
learn
today
to
shift
your
mindset
and
approach
business
development
in
a
way
that
works
for
you.
Here
are
three
critical
ways
to
“ditch
the
pitch”
and
bring
in
more
of
your
own
clients.
1.
Remove
Your
Head
Trash!
We’ve
all
experienced
being
sold
something
we
didn’t
want
or
need
—
it
leaves
a
bad
taste.
Many
lawyers
associate
sales
with
this
negative
experience,
and
I
want
to
help
you
reframe
that.
Sales
is
typically
defined
as
the
exchange
of
money
for
goods
or
services.
But
I
see
it
differently.
Sales
is
about
solving
problems
—
which
happens
to
be
your
specialty.
Clients
come
to
you
with
legal
challenges,
and
your
job
is
to
resolve
them
effectively.
So,
your
goal
in
a
meeting
isn’t
to
“sell”
your
services.
Instead,
it’s
to
guide
a
potential
client
through
a
buying
decision.
And
here’s
the
best
part:
you
don’t
have
to
sell
them
anything.
Your
role
is
to
determine
whether
their
issues
align
with
your
expertise
and
whether
it
makes
sense
to
work
together.
This
happens
through
building
trust,
asking
smart
questions,
and
listening
—
all
skills
you
already
have.
2.
People
Buy
From
Lawyers
They
Like
And
Trust
Ever
wonder
why
some
lawyers
land
more
business
than
others,
even
when
they’re
not
the
best
in
their
field?
It’s
because
relationships
matter
more
than
expertise
alone.
I’ve
seen
lawyers
walk
into
meetings
unprepared,
rambling
about
how
great
their
firm
is
and
how
deep
their
expertise
runs.
Stop.
People
don’t
care
how
much
you
know
until
they
know
how
much
you
care.
Take
time
before
the
meeting
to
research
your
prospective
client.
There’s
no
excuse.
We
have
more
access
to
information
than
ever
—
use
it.
Google
their
name
and
company,
check
their
social
media,
and
speak
with
the
referral
source
to
understand
their
background.
Find
ways
to
connect
with
them
beyond
business.
Don’t
rush
into
a
conversation
about
legal
issues;
doing
so
limits
your
ability
to
build
trust.
For
example,
you
could
say:
-
“I
saw
on
LinkedIn
that
your
company
was
just
named
one
of
the
Top
20
Startups
of
2025.
That’s
amazing!
How
are
you
feeling
about
that?” -
“I
noticed
you
post
a
lot
about
your
kids’
sports
on
Facebook.
Which
events
are
your
favorites
to
attend?”
Starting
a
meeting
without
building
rapport
is
like
trying
to
construct
a
skyscraper
from
the
50th
floor.
Take
the
time
to
establish
trust
before
diving
into
business.
3.
Ditch
The
Pitch
For
Qualifying
Questions
As
I
mentioned
earlier,
lawyers
love
solving
problems,
and
prospective
clients
have
them.
The
issue
isn’t
whether
you
can
help
—
it’s
when
you
bring
up
your
solutions.
Many
attorneys
fall
into
the
trap
of
immediately
answering
questions
about
their
services,
firm
capabilities,
and
rates.
But
doing
this
too
soon
means
you
lose
control
over
the
conversation
and
miss
the
opportunity
to
qualify
the
client
properly.
One
of
my
favorite
sayings
is:
“Prescription
before
diagnosis
is
malpractice.”
Read
that
again.
Instead
of
pitching
right
away,
shift
your
focus
to
asking
thoughtful
questions.
Your
goal
is
to
understand
the
depth
of
the
client’s
problem
before
offering
solutions.
This
approach
transforms
the
conversation
from
a
competitive
engagement
to
a
collaborative
one.
By
actively
listening,
you
uncover
their
“pain
points”
and
why
they’re
motivated
to
change.
Think
of
yourself
as
a
therapist.
A
good
therapist
doesn’t
jump
in
with
solutions;
they
ask,
listen,
and
empathize.
That’s
exactly
what
your
prospective
clients
are
looking
for.
The
other
benefit?
Asking
the
right
questions
helps
you
determine
if
the
client
is
a
good
fit
for
you.
-
Are
they
truly
committed
to
solving
their
problem? -
Are
they
the
decision-maker? -
Do
they
have
the
budget
to
afford
your
services?
By
establishing
trust,
you
can
ask
deeper,
more
personal
questions
than
a
lawyer
who
spends
an
hour
talking
about
themselves.
One
of
the
reasons
I
started
working
in
the
legal
industry
was
because
I
saw
a
massive
gap
in
business
development
skills
among
lawyers.
And
yes,
I
know
—
you
weren’t
taught
this
in
law
school.
But
that’s
why
you’re
reading
this
article.
Your
expertise
and
relationships
are
the
only
things
you
can
truly
count
on
in
this
ever-changing
legal
world.
If
you’re
serious
about
your
future,
invest
in
learning
and
refining
these
skills
daily.
I
hope
this
article
encourages
you
to
be
bold
in
your
business
development
efforts
—
not
as
a
pushy
salesperson,
but
as
an
empathetic,
trusted
advisor
who
genuinely
helps
clients
solve
their
problems.
Now,
go
out
there
and
start
growing
your
book
of
business
—
the
right
way.
Steve
Fretzin
is
a
bestselling
author,
host
of
the
BE
THAT
LAWYER
Podcast,
and
business
development
coach
exclusively
for
attorneys.
Steve
has
committed
his
career
to
helping
lawyers
learn
key
growth
skills
not
currently
taught
in
law
school.
His
clients
soon
become
top
rainmakers
and
credit
Steve’s
program
and
coaching
for
their
success.
He
can
be
reached
directly
by
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
easily
find
him
on
his
website
at www.fretzin.com or
LinkedIn
at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin/.